Hotels & accommodation

Eastern & Oriental Hotel

Eastern & Oriental Hotel · George Town's grande-dame seafront hotel on Lebuh Farquhar, founded by the Sarkies brothers in 1885

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel — the E&O — opened in 1885 on the Lebuh Farquhar waterfront in George Town, founded by the Sarkies brothers, the Armenian hoteliers who went on to create Raffles in Singapore. For over 138 years it has been the address in Penang for arriving travellers, and its white colonial façade, domed echoing lobby and seafront lawn remain the visual shorthand for George Town's waterfront.

The hotel is arranged in two wings. The Heritage Wing, the original 1885 building, holds all-suite accommodation and re-emerged in December 2019 from a comprehensive restoration that returned its high ceilings, polished timber and period detailing. Across the lawn, the Victory Annexe opened in 2013 on the site of the hotel's 1923 annexe, adding larger contemporary suites with balconies over the strait. The Heritage Wing's Writers Suites carry the names of past literary guests, among them Noël Coward, Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling and Hermann Hesse.

Dining is a large part of the E&O's rhythm. Sarkies, in the Victory Annexe, serves the hotel's well-known Malaysian and international buffets; the Java Tree in the Heritage Wing cooks classic European dishes; and Palm Court is the setting for the three-tier afternoon tea that has been a George Town ritual for generations. Farquhar's Bar pours cocktails facing the waterfront, the Planters Lounge serves continental plates, and the Poolside Terrace covers casual meals by the water.

For a scouting trip the location does much of the work. The hotel stands in the UNESCO-listed core zone: Fort Cornwallis and the Esplanade are a short walk east, the clan jetties and Armenian Street's shophouses a few minutes south, and the Gurney Drive expat corridor begins just west along the coast road. The Heritage Wing pool sits between the façade and the sea wall, so the strait is the backdrop to most of the day.

• Founded 1885 by the Sarkies brothers — the E&O predates its sister hotel, Raffles Singapore
• Lebuh Farquhar waterfront, George Town — inside Penang's UNESCO World Heritage core zone
• Two wings: the all-suite Heritage Wing (restored, reopened December 2019) and the Victory Annexe (2013)
• Dining: Sarkies, Java Tree, Palm Court afternoon tea, Farquhar's Bar and the Planters Lounge
• Heritage Wing swimming pool and lawn gardens set directly on the seafront promenade

Visit the property — Eastern & Oriental Hotel eohotels.com

This featured showcase is an editorial selection by our editors. We have not stayed at this property and it is not a paid placement; no rating is implied. Paid placements never influence the Malaysia liveability score, safety rating or warnings.